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NOTICE .

The Subscript on io THE FREEMASON is now ios . per annum , post-free , payable in advance . Vo ! . I ., bound in cloth 4 s . 6 d . Vol . IL , ditto ? s . 6 d . Vo ! . s III ., IV ., V ., & c . ... each i s . od . Reading Cases to hold 52 numbers ... 2 s . fid . Ditto ditto 4 do . ... is . 6 d .

United States of America . THE FUSEMASON is delivered free in any part of the United States for 12 s . per annum , payable in advance . The Freemason is published on Saturday Mornings in time for the early t-rains . The price of the Freemason is Twopence per week ; annual

subscription , ios . ( pavanle in advance : ) All communications , letters , & c ., to be addressed to the Editor , 108 , Fleet-street , E . C . T he Editor will pay careful attention to all MSS . entrusted to him , but cannot undertake to return them unless accompanied by postags stamps .

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NOTICE .

Many complaints having been receivetl of the difficulty experienced in procuring ( he Freemason in the City , thc publisher begs to append the following list , being a selected few of the appointed agents : — Abbott , Wm ., East Cheap . Bates , Pilgrim-street , Ludgate-hill .

Born , H ., 115 , London-wall . Dawson , Wm ., 121 , Cannon-street . Gilbert , Jas ., 18 , Gracechurch-street . Guest , AVm ., 54 , Paternoster-row . Phillpott Bros ., 651 , King AA'illiam-street . Pottle , R ., 14 , Royal Exchange .

May also be obtained at W . H . Smith & Son ' s Bookstalls at the following City Stations : — Broad-street . I Holborn Viaduct . Cannon-street . | London Bridge . Ludgate Hill .

Answers To Correspondents.

Answers to Correspondents .

All Communications , Advertisements , & c , intended for insertion iu the Number of the following Saturday , must reach the Office not later than 12 o ' clock on AVedncstlay morning . AH Communications should be sent to 198 , Fleet Street .

The following communications stand over;—Letter from R . II . ; Reports of Eccleshill Lodge , 1034 ; Bradford ; Lotlge Star , 219 , Glasgow . 1 "SI-NIOH WAIIUBN " must sec that his letter is inadmissible in our columns .

Births, Marriages And Deaths.

Births , Marriages and Deaths .

DEATH . BANKS . —On the 1 st instant , deeply lamented , at thc residence of his father , Overcliffe , Gravesend , in his 20 th year , Percy , youngest son of Bro . Benjamin Banks , senr ., ( of the Polish National Lodge , and formerly co-lessee and manager of the Freemasons' Tavern . ) He was educated in the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and received the Canonbury Gold Medal on quitting the school .

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TheFreemason, SATURDAY , APRIL IO , 1875 .

The Arrangements For The Installation.

THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE INSTALLATION .

Thus far the arrangements for the Installation seem to be perfectly clear and satisfactory . The statement in the Times of Thursday , and quoted in our columns last week , about the counter-signature of the certificates by the Lodge Secretaries being requisite , has been at once repudiated

and rectified on proper authority . Indeed , it was in itself so evidently incorrect , as hardly to merit correction , and must have proceeded from a non-Mason , as no Freemason could have made such a blunder . So great has been the demand for tickets of admission from those who are " de

jure" entitled to be accommodated , that onl y one Master Mason ' s ticket can be allotted to each of the lodges . This will be evident when we say , that the application for seats are , in round numbers , 6000 qualified members of Grand Lodge , and 10 , 000 Master Masons . We

understand that the one ticket allotted to each lodge for Master Masons may probably be offered to the oldest subscribing member of each lodge , a very Masonic arrangement . We also understand that it will be endeavoured to seat the London Lodges and the Provincial Brethren in groups , a very

The Arrangements For The Installation.

convenient and comfortable proceeding for our " country , " brethren and "cousins . '' The limitation of Master Masons' tickets will , no donbt , be a very great disappointment to countless loyal and worthy brethren , but they must remember that as all present and past Grand Officers , all

W . Masters and Past Masters , and all acting Wardens have a right to be first considered , the present posture of affairs is utterly unavoidable . We are sure of this , that if success will depend on the zealous labours of the directing officers , we need anticipate nothing but a most

satisfactory result . Ihe most earnest and painstaking efforts have been made , and still are making , day by day , to give contentment as far as possible to all applicants , and to render every arrangement as simple , as sensible , and as practicable as well mav be .

We are authorised to say that the arrangements are proceeding as rapidly as the immense amount of work will permit . The work has been much increased by inattention to the directions in the forms of return . A great many lists , especially from the provinces , have to be

returned for correction , whilst others , in many cases , have required the shifting of the names from one division of the list to the other . All additions to the list of qualified members received up to Monday night have ^ been attended to . Those which may be received after that day

must be put aside until after the tickets are all prepared , according to the lists as they stand . Tha ballot for places began on Monday in the presence of the President and Vice-President 0 ? the Board of G . P ., the Grand Secretary , and others , and was completed yesterday . The

ballot was so contrived , that all the members of each province may be together , and must enter at the same door . There will be twelve entrances , distinguished by numbers and colours—of these , three on the West side have been drawn by the London lodges , and the corresponding

entrances on the East side , leading to similar places on that side of the hall , together with four other entrances , have fallen to the provinces . The remaining two , leading to the Picture Gallery will be used for the admission of the M . M . ' s who may be fortunate enough to receive tickets .

The tickets , bearing the colour of the different entrances , are all printed •the writing in of so large a number of names will be a work of some days , but they may be expected to be forwarded to the lodges next week . The Grand Officers ' tickets of admission will be posted this week .

Our contemporary the Standard has the following note on the subject : — All the returns , from the various lodges in England having now been received they have been examined , and the names therein counted . It appeal's from these returns that the members of

the Masonic fraternity who desire to be present in the Royal Albert Hall on the 28 th inst . approach in number 20 , 000 . As the hall will not accomodate with seats anything like half that number , the privilege of admission , which it was desired and resolved to extend to those who , being only

Master Masons , are not members of Grand Lodge , has been of necessity so restricted as to give but one such admission to each of the 1000 lodges in England . No doubt much disappointment will be felt and expressed at this result •indeed , it has already begun to manifest itself , and the

correspondence on the subject which dail y pours in at the Grand Secretary ' s office is overwhelming . Those who have charge of the arrangements are anxious that it should be as widel y known as possible that no alteration in the above restriction is at all admissible , and that in case oi

delay m replying to letters on the subject of the installation , should any occur , it must not be imputed to want of courtesy , or an absence of desire to consult the wishes and convenience of all , so far as is practicable , but to the extraordinary pressure , now daily increasing .

Our Canadian Brethren.

OUR CANADIAN BRETHREN .

Our able contemporary , the Craftsman , has taken us , in a very friendly and fraternal manner , a little to task because wo have latterly said a good deal about tho American Freemasonry and l < Veemasons , and nothing about our good brethren in Canada . On reflection we think that our contem-

Our Canadian Brethren.

porary will admit , that his complaint , if it be a complaint , has no valid foundation , either in realit y or in equity . We were writing simply " ad hoc . " The remark had been made , as remarks are often made by the ill-informed , about American Freemasonry and Freemasons , which we thought

equally unwise and unjustifiable , betraying , moreover , an entire ignorance of the " status " of Freemasonry in the United States . In our duty to the Order , therefore , as critical censors of what is going on in our little Masonic world , we thought it Avell to enter our " caveat" against

such ill-digested and hasty utterances , by whomsoever made . But when we said what we ventured to say in praise of the American Freemasons , praise which we make bold to add is their just due , we did not forget , much less did we undervalue , the Canadian Freemasons . On

the contrary , we shall always be ready to admit , and hasten to acknowledge the worth , the zeal , and the true Masonic spirit of the numerous brotherhood in the Canadian Confederation . We belong to an old-fashioned school both of citizens and thinkers , and we are among the last to

undervalue either the admirable qualities or the patriotic loyalty of our Canadian fellow-countrymen . We hope , therefore , that our contemporary will dismiss at once any such mistaken notion , and will believe our assurances and accept our fraternal good wishes . We shall

always be happy to insert any account of Canadian Freemasonry , whether statistical or charitable , and we shall ever watch , with the utmost feelings of fraternal attachment and goodwill , the onward progress of our excellent Order amongst the intelligent population of Canada .

Our Non-Commissioned Officer Brethren.

OUR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER BRETHREN .

We congratulate the central authorities on the just compliment paid to our non-cominissioned officer brethren , under the direct sanction of H . R . H . the Grand Master . It is very satisfactory to observe and to realise , that the highest authority we have , recognizes alike the justice of

their claims , and confirms the truth of what we have always said on the subject . It was quite clear to us , in the old Plymouth controversy , which we do not however , Avish to revive , that some remarkable Masonic red-tape had been largely indulged in on that occasion by some one

or other . There was not a shadow of justification for the exclusion of the non-commissioned officer brethren then , and we are glad to see that such an tin-Masonic regulation is not to be perpetuated now . It will be a great satisfaction to our many worthy non-commissioned officer

brethren to read and to hear , that the supreme Masonic authority fully concedes their claims , and openly recognizes their Masonic membership . We think that this wise and befitting regulation is another proof , if any proof be

needed , how anxiously those who have the preparatory arrangements to make , are labouring to give satisfaction to all , and to render this great gathering a thoroughly successful and ever to be remembered Masonic anniversary .

Mr. Charles Bradlaugh.

MR . CHARLES BRADLAUGH .

The more we think of "Taflfaire Bradlaugh , " to use a French idiom , the more we feel how very bad a case it is . Here we are , a great Order , priding ourselves on our strictness , our regularity , and our carefully-tyled lodges , the due observance of the "Book of Constitutions , "

& c . & c , and yet , we find , all of a sudden , that all these things are " words , Sir , only words . " As a rule , no one can be admitted a joining member of a lodge who does not bring his Grand Lodge Certificate with him , and is able to refer the authorities of the lodge he seeks to be affiliated with , to the authorities of the

lodge from which he has demitted , or of which he is still a subscribing member . Now , we would venture to ask the brethren of the Hig h Cross Lodge , for a grave responsibility rests upon them , as towards the Craft at large , what certificate did Mr . Bradlaugh bring with him when he was admitted a joining member of that lodge under our English Constitution ? On what